St. Paul Mom, 20, Charged In Fentanyl Death Her 1-Year-Old Daughter

ST. PAUL, MN — A 20-year-old mother from St. Paul on Monday was charged in the fentanyl overdose death of her 1-year-old daughter.

Tessa J. Vorlicky faces two counts of second-degree manslaughter (culpable negligence and attempt to commit violation). If convicted, she faces 10 years in prison and a $20,000 fine.

On Dec. 1, 2023, at about 7:30 p.m., officers responded to the 330 block of Toronto Street in St. Paul on the report of a child who was not breathing and occasionally gasping.

Vorlicky was heard screaming in the background of the call: "Where is the [expletive] Narcan? Did you give her Narcan?" according to the criminal complaint.

When the dispatcher asked why the baby needed Narcan, the 911 caller replied that the baby had gotten into some of Vorlicky’s drugs, investigators said.

Dispatch told the 911 caller — later identified as Vorlicky's mother — to put the baby on the ground and use the Narcan.

Narcan was administered before the child was hospitalized. However, she was declared brain-dead on Dec. 5.

The autopsy results later showed the child died from fentanyl toxicity, and a folded metal foil was recovered from her colon.

Further investigation revealed that a hold was put on the child when she was born at Children’s Hospital in September 2022 because Vorlicky was using fentanyl at the hospital while in labor, according to the criminal complaint.

Late last month, the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Officer completed its final autopsy report on the child's death. Lab results showed the child had both fentanyl and norfentanyl in her body, and that a fragment of folded gray metal foil that was recovered from her colon.

The child's death was a result of acute fentanyl toxicity, the examiner ruled.

Vorlicky’s mother said she "frequently finds residue, straws, and burned tinfoil laying around the house," the criminal complaint states. The mother also told police that both her daughters were addicted to drugs, and both smoke drugs from tinfoil, but whatever Vorlicky smokes doesn’t smell as bad as what her sister smokes.

Officers obtained a search warrant and found Vorlicky's home in "poor condition with dog feces on the floors." They also found nasal Narcan, a baggie of suspected drugs, and burnt tinfoil on a black dresser in Vorlicky’s bedroom that later tested positive for the presence of methamphetamine, according to the criminal complaint.

A search days later turned up 50 pieces of crumpled tinfoil with drug residue in a silver dresser drawer, four loose pills inside a drawer of the silver dresser, a blue computer tablet on the dresser that had narcotics residue on it, a loose blue pill on top of a dresser, 28 pieces of crumpled tinfoil with residue, 13 cut straws, and six plastic baggies on the left side of a dresser drawer, four clear plastic baggies on the bedroom floor by the bed, four pieces of tinfoil in a purse on top of a chair, and tinfoil on the hallway floor outside the bedroom, according to the criminal complaint.

Police said they also located a glass bubble pipe in the hallway outside the bedroom.

Vorlicky went through severe withdrawals while in custody at the Ramsey County Jail, authorities said.